Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 30.djvu/155

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dred prisoners. ‘There never was any day in Ireland like this,’ says Whitelocke, ‘to the confusion of the Irish, and raising up the spirits of the English, and restoring their interest, which from their first footing in Ireland was never in so low a condition as at that time.’ A few days later Ormonde wrote to Jones for a list of his prisoners. ‘My Lord,’ replied Jones, ‘since I routed your army I cannot have the happiness to know where you are that I may wait upon you.’ He tried to use his victory to recover Drogheda, but Ormonde was still strong enough to oblige him to raise the siege (8 Aug.; Borlase, p. 280; Carte, Original Letters, ii. 407; Cary, Memorials of the Civil War, ii. 152, 159; Aphorismical Discovery, ii. 43).

On 15 Aug. Cromwell landed at Dublin, and as commander-in-chief superseded Jones. The latter became his second in command, with the rank of lieutenant-general. He took part in the capture of Wexford and the siege of Waterford, but the fatigues of the campaign proved fatal to him. On 19 Dec. 1649 Cromwell announced his death to the speaker. ‘The noble lieutenant-general, whose finger, to our knowledge, never ached in all these expeditions, fell sick; we doubt upon a cold taken upon our late wet march and ill accommodation; and went to Dungarvan, where, struggling some four or five days with a fever, he died, having run his course with so much honour, courage, and fidelity, as his actions better speak than my pen. What England lost hereby is above me to speak. I am sure I lost a noble friend and companion in labours’ (Carlyle, Cromwell, Letter cxvii.) Jones was buried in St. Mary's Church at Youghal, in the Earl of Cork's chapel (Smith, History of Waterford, p. 65). Parliament had voted him lands to the value of 500l. a year, after his victory at Dungan Hill, and after Rathmines they increased the gift to 1,000l. a year. It is doubtful whether these votes were carried out, for on 5 Dec. 1650 the house voted 300l. to ‘the Lady Dame Mary Culme, widow, late wife of Lieutenant-general Jones, for the relief of her present necessities’ (Commons' Journals, vi. 278, 505).

A poem on Jones's victory at Rathmines was printed by George Wither (Carmen Eucharisticon, or a Private Thank Oblation, &c., 4to, 1649).

[Authorities already quoted, and Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, iii. 337. Many of the despatches of Jones during his Irish command are printed in the Journals of the House of Lords and in contemporary pamphlets. Others are among the Tanner and Carte MSS. in the Bodleian Library.]

C. H. F.

JONES, OWEN (1741–1814), Welsh antiquary, also known by the name of Owain Myvyr, from Llanfihangel Glyn y Myvyr in Denbighshire, where he was born 3 Sept. 1741, was younger son of a respectable family that traced its descent from Marchweithian, founder of one of the royal tribes of North Wales. He came to London in early life, and entered the employment of Messrs. Kidney & Nutt, furriers, of 148 Upper Thames Street, to whose business he eventually succeeded. With the view of encouraging the study of Welsh literature and archæology, he founded, in 1770, the Gwyneddigion Society of London, of which he continued to be one of the chief supporters until his death on 26 Sept. 1814. He was buried in Allhallows churchyard in Thames Street, where a plain tombstone was placed, bearing a Welsh inscription with ‘englynion’ by the Rev. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain) which were sadly mutilated by the English engraver. His portrait was painted for the Gwyneddigion Society in 1802 by John Vaughan, one of the members; it was engraved for Leathart's ‘History’ of that society. Jones's elegy was also written for the society by John Jones of Glanygoes (1763–1821) [q. v.] Jones's wife, Hannah Jane Jones, was afterwards married to one Robert Roberts, and died 23 April 1838, in her sixty-fifth year; by her he had two daughters, one of whom, Hannah Jones, died unmarried on 21 Sept. 1890, and one son, Owen Jones [q. v.], architect (Byegones, 1889–90, pp. 281, 485).

From his childhood Jones had a passion for Welsh literature, and the one great aim of his life was to give permanence and publicity to its scattered and unknown treasures. Matthew Arnold has paid him a well-deserved tribute for his self-sacrificing patriotism in collecting at his own expense and obtaining transcripts of all available Welsh manuscripts, a portion of which he published in three bulky volumes, called after his own name, ‘The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales’ (London, 1801–7, 8vo). Dr. Owen Pughe and Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg) shared with him the literary superintendence of the work, but he defrayed all the expenses of the undertaking. The ‘Archaiology’ has since been, as Arnold says, ‘The great repertory of the literature of his nation: the book is full of imperfections, it presented itself to a public which could not judge of its importance, and it brought upon its author, in his lifetime, more attack than honour’ (Arnold, Celtic Literature, pp. 24–7). But his great labour was appreciated by a few men, outside the circle of Welsh readers (see Quarterly Review for 1819, xxi. 94; Retro-